Back when Stephanie Ciccarelli was a singer and musical entrepreneur - making her way in the creative field and trying to get herself known in the vocal industry as an independent artist - her mother happened to come across a small recording studio in the London, ON in their paper and immediately thought of her daughter.

Little did her mother realize that the chance encounter between Stephanie and the owner of this small studio, would lead to a life long partnership - as they are now husband and wife - and an incredible entrepreneurial journey.

Since as far back as she can remember, Stephanie was interested in music. Her grandparents instilled her initial love for it as a child, and she continued to pursue it in high school throughout choirs and vocal lessons and eventually studied it in University. Lucky for her, she came from a family that wanted her to pursue her passion - whatever that may be.

As she says, 'she was primed' for the arts.

Fast forward to meeting David and starting a family, the two quickly realized that their recording studio business wasn't that sustainable and time efficient for a couple with young kids. They were working extremely long hours and not really reaping the financial benefits. And after talking with a mentor of theirs, they sold everything and took an idea they had written on a napkin, and turned it into the thriving business they have today.

Now Stephanie is the Chief Brand Officer of Voices.com, an industry-leading website that connects businesses with professional voice talent. David and Stephanie blended their love for voice and sound engineering, and created a platform that would serve a variety of customers.

She's a respected mentor and industry speaker, and is considered one of the most connected people in the industry. Stephanie's been listed on the PROFIT Magazine 2013, 2015, and 2016 W100 lists, a ranking of Canada’s top female entrepreneurs and is also the author of Voice Acting for Dummies.

But don't be fooled by all their success. There's been ups and downs along the way, on top of trying to raise a family and run a business as a couple. And times when they just weren't sure if the company would make it. So tune in to see how they came out on top, and built one of Canada's most successful companies.

Stephanie and David Ciccarelli

SOME QUESTIONS I ASKED:

Where did this love for music come from?

Did your parents ever tell you to give up singing and get a 'real' profession?

What would you be doing if you didn't have your company?

How did you and David meet?

What was the first step you guys took to get Voices.com off the ground?

As an entrepreneur, what are three qualities that you must have in order to be successful?

Why do you think you and David have been able to make it work - both professionally and personally?

Who was your first hire and how do you determine that type of thing?

Was there ever a time when you thought your company wasn't going to make it?

And so much more...

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

Why communication is so important in business and in life

Why you need to figure out where your strengths lie, before going into business with a partner

Why being naive and not knowing everything can actually work in your advantage at times

How to find your first clients

The importance of helping others get what they want and how that will benefit you in the long run

The three "C's" to hiring

Three qualities to look for in a potential employee and why they should have at least two of the three

CONNECT WITH Stephanie + voices.com

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